A slightly pained expression tugged at her smile as Rei looked down at him. He�d almost killed himself trying to protect her, and in fact, she had no doubt he would have (given the option), if it were the only way. Part of her was immeasurably comforted by that thought, but then of course her other self wished he wouldn�t risk that, hoping he would live and be happy no matter what happened to her. But he was still here, with her.

Rei suddenly blushed and looked away as she realized she was staring at him as he slept. She felt very guilty now, but still happy. �This is very confusing, she finally admitted to herself with closed eyes.

The door started to slowly open and Rei lay back down, closing her eyes and feigning sleep. She heard a set of footsteps walk into the room and between their two beds. By the person�s breathing, Rei could tell it was Misato. Rei opened her eyes ever so slightly to let her see what Misato was doing.

She was looking down at Cirus, a soft, but mysterious expression on her face. It seemed a mix between a frown and a smile, but not really fulfilling either of them visually. Then she turned and looked down at Rei, a smile pervading over the warring expressions on her face as she looked down at the young woman. Then she said something below her breath that Rei barely heard. ��You know how lucky you are, don�t you Rei?� It was obvious by the tone it was rhetorical question and Rei let Misato leave without revealing herself. She didn�t open her eyes until she heard the door close again.

Rei pulled herself out of her bed and walked over to the chair with her clothes cleanly draped over it. She was about to change into them when she thought of something and walked back between the two beds. She pulled the curtain closed so that Cirus would not be able to see. She remembered that he seemed to not wish to see her change clothes, and so didn�t want to offend him if he awoke as she changed.

She did so quickly, able to take the bandages off and noticing that she did not even have a bruise left, before pulling the curtain back from where she had moved it to. She did not want to risk waking him from his much-needed rest and so smiled at him gently before leaving herself. �Yes, Misato�

Ikari looked through the large window he was standing before, his reflection ghostly transparent in it. He looked down at the Second Angel with no emotion on his face, nor any sign of expression. He simply watched as things were being prepared down in the Angel�s containment chamber.

In the chamber itself the chilling sound of the behemoth�s breathing echoed throughout its vast, black expanses. A deep, hollow sound it was; emanating from deep within the Angel�s body and slowly rumbling out and back in.

Eve had been discovered a month before Adam, within the very Geo-front NERV had been built in. With the knowledge they now had of Angels and AT fields, something very unique had been discovered about Eve. �Her� entire body had a very strong AT field, the energy field that kept all beings from flowing into and becoming one with each other, but the very center of her chest was different. It had almost no AT field present; it could fuse with any living being at any time, but the being had to be willing to go or its own AT field would stop it from becoming one with her.

Ikari adjusted his glasses on his face before holding his hands behind his back. And so we shall see, Rei. It is your own choice whether you exist or cease to be. With that thought, Ikari touched the control on the wall that commanded the deceiving shield to close back over the window as he turned back to his desk and sat down in it. �And so we shall see��

Fuyutsuki was within the Angel�s chamber directing the preparation work. A compliment of workers from SEELE had been sent to assist, and so things were going quite speedily.

During the occasional calms when workers were busy at their tasks, Fuyutsuki�s face would slacken as he thought of what they were truly preparing for. ��I would rather live in a world with people in it, no matter how stained with sin,� I once said. Now it would appear I�m going back on my word.

�Vice Commander?� a young man asked from Fuyutsuki�s left.

The professor turned to the man in the SEELE uniform with an expectantly raised eyebrow.

�All preparations have been completed. Shall we begin readying the security force?�

Already? They must be in a rush to �move on�� �Thank you, good. Yes, you may proceed,� Fuyutsuki responded aloud quite calmly and forthrightly.

The young man gave a respectful bow before turning on his heel to accomplish his task.

Fuyutsuki looked up and behind himself to the space where Ikari�s office opened its view out into the chamber. Seeing that is was closed he looked back down to the beast in front of him. I assume he will inform Dr. Akagi now. Fuyutsuki suddenly just let a disgusted expression flash over his features, This is absurd. And he quickly marched out of the chamber. If he was needed, they would summon him.

Cirus awoke at last. He was able to tell it was early morning by how brightly the room shone in his vision. He noticed with relief that Rei had left. He was glad she had gone off to do other things, and not wait at his bedside as she had before. He didn�t deserve that from her. It also gave him the privacy to heal himself since he had rested enough to regain his strength.

He closed his eyes again and concentrated, pulling the AT field to his location and guiding it to all the damaged parts of his body, which in this case were quite numerous, but that did not hinder him. The air distorted slightly around his body as the AT field flowed around him. It did so for a few moments before fading again and then dispersing.

He exhaled slowly, relaxing at last from the pain and melting into the bed. Of course his sudden health would be noticed, but he did not really care about that.

After letting himself enjoy the lack of pain for a few moments in the comfort of the bed, Cirus pulled the covers off of himself and started to unwrap the bandages all over his body. He looked up when he finished, and saw his clothes hanging off of a chair against the windowed wall at the far corner. He went over, and got the clothes before dressing behind the closed curtains, finishing with his dark glasses. Though healed, he was still worn out from the amount of energy he�d used to become so. As a result, he walked very slowly to the door before opening it and proceeding out into the hall.

He smiled suddenly as he recalled Rei reaching out and holding his hand. The sheer beauty of the sensation still reached him, even though it was only in the echo of his mind. Her hands were so delicate and her skin was so soft� Her touch had soothed him completely.

Catching himself looking down at the hand she had held, Cirus looked back up and then realized something that made him glance down at his hand again, this time the wrist. It was about 10:34 am, and his watch said it was a Thursday. Rei, as well as the others, would be in the fitness center at this time, either doing homework or exercising.

Cirus then stopped walking, realizing he was caught again. Should I go check on her, and tell her I�m awake, or should I leave her be and not intrude?

The absurdity of the question hit him, and he just shook his head at himself before continuing on. He should at least inform her he was not in the infirmary, if nothing else.

Kaji was walking down the hall that happened to lead to Ikari�s office as well as his destination, which was the command center, and saw Ritsuko leaving the office and closing the door behind herself very slowly. This roused Kaji�s suspicions instantly and he walked up to her. �Something wrong?� he asked politely.

Ritsuko�s head shot up, but she relaxed when she saw him. ��Kaji, you startled me,� she replied wearily.

Kaji found that odd since he had been in plain sight the entire time, but didn�t comment on it. �So?� he continued with a slight smile.

Ritsuko straightened herself up and once again became the calm and cool Doctor she was known to be. �Nothing really, just a small problem with the Magi,� she answered at last, flashing a smile at Kaji before going on her way down the hall.

Kaji smiled back and bowed his head until she had her back turned, at which point his face became quite serious. Something very important is going on�

Asuka and Rei were swimming laps in the pool while Shinji worked on some advanced algebra on his computer off to the side. Every now and then he would glance up at Rei in her white swimming suit and Asuka in a dark crimson one as they swam, but always quickly glanced back down as his cheeks turned reddish. Asuka had her hair tied back into a long ponytail to avoid letting it get in her way in the water. She had said she hated the rubber caps they were supposed to wear and so chose the tied back fashion instead.

The doors at the far wall opening caught Shinji�s attention and he looked up with raised eyebrows. His eyes quickly widened in surprise as Cirus walked up along the poolside toward him. �Cirus! We-I-I thought you were still in the med-bay-�

Cirus calmed the panicked young man down with a smile and calmly raised hand. �Why are you so panicked?�

�Well, Ayanami was not there when you woke up, obviously, so I thought that maybe��

�She can do as she pleases, Shinji,� Cirus replied lightly before looking out over the pool at the two figures gliding through the crystalline depths.

When Rei surfaced from her underwater lap at the wall of the pool she looked around as she regained her breath and saw Cirus. A slight smile appeared on her face and she swam toward the poolside where he was standing. Cirus got down on his haunches as she came up, a warm smile on his face. ��It�s good to see you up and about,� he said quietly.

Rei tipped her head once. ��Yes. You seem well also,� she replied.

Cirus� smile broadened and he nodded. �That I am.�

�Cirus?!� Asuka�s voice called from across the pool.

Cirus looked up and waved at the young woman to show he�d heard her.

Rei knew he had healed himself, but she was curious as to why he hadn�t done so earlier, or at least healed himself before her. He had been more seriously injured, so it would have been a logical decision.

As Cirus looked back down to her she calmly looked back up. �I�m going to dry off, will you wait for me a few minutes?� she asked.

Cirus nodded. �Of course,� he answered with another smile.

Rei nodded back and swam to the steps. Shinji noticed that Cirus turned himself away before Rei�s shoulders even broke the water.

Why is he so embarrassed? She is wearing a suit, he wondered to himself.

He saw Rei pick up a towel and start to dry her hair off as she walked into the female locker room. Cirus sat down near Shinji at the table with a slow exhale that resembled a sigh of weariness.

Shinji looked up when he heard the sound of splashing water. Asuka climbed out from the pool over the wall directly and walked right up to the table. Cirus looked up at her calmly.

�You didn�t even say �Hello, Asuka. How have you been?� to me!� she reprimanded him with her arms akimbo and a glare.

Cirus smiled lightly before replying, �Hello, Asuka. How have you been?�

Asuka frowned at him, but she did calm down. �Fine, thank you.� Her mood became more genuinely positive as she led on. �You look perfectly healthy, you must heal really fast.� Like an Angel�

Cirus smiled at the good of his response as he formulated it in his mind. �Oh you�d be surprised.�

It was then that Rei walked back out from the dressing room. Her hair was of course still damp, but thanks to its short length, took on the same soft frame about her face as always. Cirus saw her and looked up with a smile as she walked up to the table. He stood up from his chair and pulled a seat out for her. She slowly sat down, having been slightly surprised by the gesture, and Cirus sat back down once she was situated comfortably.

Asuka narrowed her eyes at him, but Cirus didn�t act like he noticed, so she trotted back over to her lawn-chair and picked the dark blue robe off of it before putting it on and tying it safely around her waste. As she sat back down at their table, across from Cirus and beside Shinji, she undid the ponytail and let her hair separate as it dried. �You know, we don�t usually see you here, Cirus. Any particular reason you came by?� Asuka asked him innocently, although both he and she knew what she was up to.

Cirus considered fading the truth behind a pleasant reply, but with recent situations having occurred he decided to be honest. �Yes, actually. I came by to see Rei,� he answered perfectly calmly.

Rei remained quite calm herself, but she did glance in his direction for a moment, which did not escape Asuka�s notice.

�Ah I see��

As Asuka�s voice trailed off Cirus braced himself mentally. Don�t say it� don�t say it�

�Still hanging off each other I see.�

Cirus� jaw clenched. She said it� As he took in a breath to respond Rei looked up at Asuka. �We do not �hang� off of each other. He said he only came to see me,� she replied with delicate voice.

Asuka stood up from the table. �Yeah, yeah, yeah. And next minute you two will be making out,� she replied dryly as she walked off toward the ladies locker room.

Cirus coughed, something suddenly lodging in his throat as he heard the comment. He shot a glance over his shoulder at Asuka who didn�t look back again. That was out of line�

�Why is she like that?� Rei asked, looking back at Cirus.

Cirus, although it wasn�t visible through his glasses, looked into Rei�s eyes. ��Honestly I can�t say, though I do have some theories,� he replied, letting his fa�ade melt under her calm, soft gaze.

�I think she�s a little bit jealous,� Shinji commented.

Cirus frowned at the other young man. �Shinji, you shouldn�t say things like that behind a person�s back. That�s precisely what I was trying to avoid.�

Shinji ducked behind his computer. ��Sorry.�

�Of who?� Rei asked calmly.

Cirus sighed quietly as Shinji sat back upright to answer. �Of you, Ayanami, although she�d never admit it.�

Rei�s brow creased curiously and her head tilted.

�She doesn�t see why-� Cirus cut Shinji off with a glance.

�She does not see what?� Rei continued, looking this time at Cirus.

Cirus shook his head. �That�s not it,� he said, more to Shinji than in answer to Rei�s question.

�She doesn�t see why Cirus is more interested in you than her,� Shinji finally blurted out.

Cirus tilted his head back in a despairing gesture as Rei leaned back slightly in her chair. �Shinji, there was a reason for you not to say that,� Cirus said slowly, pulling his head back down.

��Why?� Rei asked.

Cirus smiled at Rei. �Don�t worry about it, I don�t think that�s it at all really. She�s knows me well enough now, I�m not her type,� he explained, looking at Shinji as he finished.

Shinji looked at Cirus seriously for a moment until the young man raised his eyebrow at him expectantly. �That�s not it either,� he said.

�Then what is it?� Cirus asked back.

�She doesn�t see why Rei would attract your attention instead of her, not the other way around.�

A subtle difference that Cirus� admitted he�d missed. However, his main concern after that was said was Rei�s reaction. She calmly looked at Shinji, apparently unfazed by the comment. �She thinks I am a doll,� she said finally, her voice normal.

�Well aren�t you?� Asuka�s voice asked suddenly from behind them.

Cirus almost audibly growled at himself for missing her approach and the sudden ambush.

Rei stood up and faced Asuka calmly. �No, I am not.�

Asuka set her arms akimbo. �You hardly ever show any emotion, you don�t talk unless spoken to, and you do basically whatever you�re told. That sounds like a doll to me.�

Cirus stood up from his seat. �Asuka, stop,� he said firmly in a low tone.

Asuka looked at him seriously. �You stay out of this, this is between me and her,� she responded.

�I would prefer to show less emotion than you, who use too much too often, I do not waste my words on petty quibbling, and I do not do whatever I am told any longer,� Rei responded calmly.

�A come back, from wonder-girl? Oh my G�d, is the world coming to an end or something?!� Asuka retorted with mock astonishment.

Rei�s eyes tightened and she turned to walk past Asuka so she could leave. Asuka gripped her shoulder and stopped her, making Rei turn her head back to her.

�So you�re just going to walk away, hmm?� Asuka challenged her.

A hand gripped Asuka�s wrist and quite firmly pulled it off of Rei�s shoulder. Asuka looked up at Cirus who was standing directly beside her and looking at her through his glasses. �She can leave if she wishes to.�

�Oh so now you�re fighting her battles for her? Like you do all the time when we�re piloting?� Asuka shot back sharply.

A coil of cold rage tightened in Cirus� stomach, but he calmed himself down and released Asuka�s wrist before he started to squeeze it.

�Why are you so angry with me?� Rei asked Asuka calmly, having turned back around. �I do not understand.�

�Because you�re always so stuck-up and self-obsessed! You don�t even try to interact with us and you expect us to treat you like a queen!� Asuka emphasized by waving her arms vehemently.

�I do not expect you to treat me that way, but why hate me?�

Cirus turned around and started to slide the chairs back under the table they had been sitting at. �Because you remind her of something,� he answered for Asuka calmly.

Asuka�s eyes flared open in shock as she whirled around to look at Cirus. How could he�?

�Isn�t that right, Asuka?� he continued quite calmly, looking up at her.

Rei could see the shine building in Asuka�s eyes and her eyebrows arched curiously.

Asuka opened her mouth, but little more than throated groans came out. Rei looked back at Cirus and shook her head. �Stop, don�t do this,� she said quickly.

Cirus nodded to her in acknowledgement before nodding to Asuka in apology. Asuka looked over at Rei in surprise, she calmed a bit before asking, �So� now I need your defense?� she asked with a building tone of anger.

Rei looked at her calmly and shook her head. �No. But he should not hurt you like that.�

�How do you know how he was hurting me?!� Asuka shouted back, more in anguish than anger.

�Because that is how I felt� before,� Rei answered calmly and then turned to leave.

Asuka let her mouth shut and eyed Rei until she left the room. ��Well� maybe she�s not a doll�� she admittedly softly.

�Do you see why I said it now?� Cirus asked her in a similar tone.

She nodded. ��But it still hurt.�

He nodded. �And for that I am sorry,� he responded with a bow and turned to leave.

�I�m sorry, Asuka,� Shinji said softly from behind her once Cirus had left.

Asuka chuckled, but when she spoke Shinji could tell she was crying. �Stop apologizing, Shinji, it wasn�t your fault.�

��But� I don�t know what else to say��

Asuka laughed through her tears and turned around, wiping them from her eyes. ��Well that�s good for you I guess,� she replied finally.

Shinji was surprised by the likeness to his mother Asuka struck suddenly, but he shook it out of his mind and smiled back at her. �I think so.�

As Cirus closed the door to his apartment and hung up his coat he saw the light on his answering machine beeping. He walked over and activated the playback for the single message.

�Mr. Trent, this is Rioji Kaji,� Kaji�s voice said seriously. �If you could meet me at the usual place that would be fortunate. Bye,� and then the sound of a phone hanging up.

Cirus narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. Since he and Kaji didn�t have a �usual place�, Kaji had to have been using a code for a possibly insecure line. Cirus thought for a moment, but then quickly remember what kind of establishment was entailed by the request and turned back for the door, yanking his coat off the hook as he did.

Kaji took a sip of his drink and set it down on the table. He was sitting in a back table booth at a popular dance club that had recently opened in Tokyo-3. Oddly enough, the best place for a confidential meeting was a public area. That way you had an alibi for being out with friends instead of somewhere secluded if something should go wrong.

The music was some form of loud and rowdy techno music that was thankfully dulled by the curve of the booth as Kaji crossed his arms on the table and did another scan of the room.

�How do you know he�ll come?� another voice asked from the very shadowy, back-left corner of the booth. It was a male voice and fairly young sounding.

�He will,� Kaji answered calmly, stirring the liquid in his glass by swirling it in the air with his hand.

The doors opened and Kaji saw Cirus walk in. He disappeared into the crowd of dancing club-hoppers before appearing again near the table, standing at its edge and looking down at Kaji and his shadowy companion.

Kaji motioned down across the table. �Join us, if you will?�

Cirus watched the other figure scoot around to the center of the booth as he sat down himself. �Alright, Mr. Kaji, what is this about?� he asked seriously. �And who is our friend there?� he added, pointing at the figure still mostly hidden by the darkness.

The figure leaned forward revealing a young Asian man with short black hair and a small beard and mustache. He had narrow, square features and wore square rimmed glasses in front of his dark eyes.

�Yachi?� Cirus asked skeptically, �What are you doing here?�

His SEELE operator leaned back into the shadow as a smile crept over his lips. �That is for Mr. Kaji here to explain,� he answered calmly.

Cirus redirected his attention as needed before Kaji leaned toward him. Cirus returned the gesture so he could hear.

�Yesterday I saw Dr. Akagi leaving Ikari�s office somewhat distressed. Knowing how strong a woman she is I asked her what was wrong and she did not answer. My suspicions got the better of me and so I contacted your friend here,� Kaji explained, motioning at Yachi as he continued quietly. �He was about to inform you about this yourself, despite his orders to the contrary. Something about an operation in Istanbul.�

Cirus smiled wryly at the reminder, but let Kaji continue.

�So we arranged this when I contacted him. SEELE and NERV are cooperating to attempt Third Impact once more,� Kaji finished plainly.

Cirus showed now outward signs of reaction, so it was impossible to tell how he took the news. �How?� he asked calmly instead.

At this point Yachi leaned forward again. �Cirus, you and I are both out of orders here, so this is all off record and it never happened anyway.� When Cirus gave a nod of acknowledgement he continued. �A month or so before Adam was discovered and experimentation began, another Angel was found. This was the true Second Angel, not Lilith. Lilith was really neither an Angel or a human, but an odd combination of both.�

Cirus leaned back as he absorbed the information. ��So what is this Second Angel then?�

�Eve,� Kaji answered.

�I see,� Cirus replied thoughtfully.

�Cirus, they need Eve to bond with a human link to start Third Impact,� Yachi continued slowly.

Cirus� head raised up quickly and he looked at Yachi. �Who?� he asked, but he already knew the answer.

�The young Miss Ayanami, of course,� Yachi answered.

The confirmation made a lump form in Cirus� throat, but he showed no visible reaction. He swallowed and then eyed Yachi more warily. �You work for Intelligence also then, my friend?�

Yachi smiled wryly and nodded, but then his face returned to its former seriousness. �You are under orders not to interfere, but neither of us can really act. If you do this, we can fix the problems.�

Cirus appeared to think about the option, but he was truly thinking of something else. The offer Yachi was making was not a choice to him, he would have acted anyway, done anything he could, but something else filled his mind. �I don�t want to hurt you,� she had said to him. She knew� She knew then. My G�d� of course. Cirus� expression became pained in spite of his control.

Yachi and Kaji looked at each other as they saw his brow furrow and his jaw tighten, but he relaxed and looked back up at them. �When and where?�

Kaji leaned down again. �That we don�t know. We need you to find out so you can stop it.�

Cirus frowned at the answer. Under normal conditions he would never accept this mission, but�despite all of his training and experience�his personal feelings were involved this time. �You realize the success rate for missions like this is next to nil,� he responded calmly, but it was obvious he had already accepted from the word �go�.

Yachi and Kaji smiled.

�True, but you�ve pulled it off before,� Yachi replied.

�With three weeks to plan,� Cirus reminded him.

Kaji cleared his throat to politely get back to business. When Cirus looked back at him he continued, �I don�t need to tell you this, but find out as fast as you can, it will be very soon.�

Cirus nodded and then stood up from the booth. �I�ll see you gentlemen soon then,� he said with a brief bow of farewell.

�He would never take a mission like this normally,� Yachi commented quietly as they watched him disappear into the crowd again.

Kaji nodded. �I had thought as much, but when it comes to matters of the heart, Man is an impetuous being.�

�Lucky for us. If he gets killed do you want to or should I?�

�I�ll take care of it,� Kaji answered plainly.